used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading About a dozen persons occupied the parlor-car.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About a dozen persons occupied the parlor-car.
absorbedadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbd/
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
BEGINNINGSnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋz/
plural of “beginning” — the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading “THE UNGUESSED BEGINNINGS OF TROUBLE.”
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
consultedverbUS /kənˈsʌltəd/
past form of “consult” — get or ask advice from
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
the act of discovering something
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
having made preparations
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading About a dozen persons occupied the parlor-car.
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
elderlyadjectiveUS /ˈeldərli/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
Gerald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
Hilliard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
loudlyadverbUS /ˈlaʊdli/
with relatively high volume
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
ManornounUS /ˈmænər/
the mansion of a lord or wealthy person
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
Marcy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
mentioningverbUS /ˈmenʃənɪŋ/
-ing form of “mention” — make reference to
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
neatadjectiveUS /niːt/
clean or organized
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
held or filled or in use
From this reading About a dozen persons occupied the parlor-car.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “THE UNGUESSED BEGINNINGS OF TROUBLE.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
parlor-car
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About a dozen persons occupied the parlor-car.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading About a dozen persons occupied the parlor-car.
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
a full supply
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
preciseadjectiveUS /prɪˈsaɪs/
sharply exact or accurate or delimited
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
on the contrary
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
sendernounUS /ˈsendər/
someone who transmits a message
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
settlingnounUS /ˈsetəlɪŋ/
a gradual sinking to a lower level
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “THE UNGUESSED BEGINNINGS OF TROUBLE.”
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
up to a particular time
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
create by training and teaching
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
a source of difficulty
From this reading “THE UNGUESSED BEGINNINGS OF TROUBLE.”
UNGUESSED
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “THE UNGUESSED BEGINNINGS OF TROUBLE.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But while they talked rather loudly and eagerly, and certainly with mentioning plenty of names and places, something of much importance to them suddenly got into progress near them.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading They consulted the letter from him (Philip happened to have brought it in his pocket), written in a neat, precise, hand――rather an elderly sort of hand――and felt disposed to like the sender of it, in advance.
Youngwood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Neither Philip nor Gerald paid any attention to them; they were absorbed, first, in settling themselves, and, next, in the discovery that the station, Youngwood Manor, at which Mr. Marcy’s friend Hilliard should board their train, was not to be reached till after one o’clock.
